Figured It Out, Have You?
by seokluver
Summary: Ron comes to apologise for his behaviour. Harry doesn't quite feel ready to forgive him yet. (AU GOF) No pairings; Oneshot.


Harry smiled weakly at Hermione as she clutched him desperately, looking immensely relieved and concerned. He awkwardly slipped his arms around her, then let them hang limply by his sides as she finally stepped back, the crescent, pink marks now visible on her cheeks from where she'd pressed too hard in worry.

"Oh, Harry, I was so _scared_! Especially when the Horntail caught you in the arm," she said anxiously, chocolate brown gaze impulsively darting to his freshly bandaged forearm, courtesy of Madam Pomfrey. They stepped out of the tent, strolling along quietly.

Harry only waved away her concern, looking dismissive, "I've had much worse, Hermione, and you know that. What's a couple of scratches from a dragon's tail? I mean, they weren't even that deep. It just stung for a bit, and then adrenaline took over." He said, causing her to frown reproachfully.

Any disapproving comment she may have had was cut off by the abrupt arrival of Ron, whose freckles stood out against his incredibly pasty complexion. He looked regretful, nervous and slightly awed. Harry stared coolly at the older boy, not saying anything.

A number of curious students, all from different houses, had begun to gather around them, though a respectful distance away from the soon to be confrontation. There was silence for another long, tense minute as the two friends stared unwaveringly at one another, paying no heed to their surroundings. At last, Ron spoke, voice quivering ever so slightly.

"Harry, mate, I reckon whoever put your name in that goblet is trying to do you in."

Harry's viridian eyes narrowed a bit, and he stared disbelievingly up at the redhead, who was currently shifting nervously from foot to foot and gazing anxiously at him.

For the past month, Ron had been unreasonable, to say the least. Harry had come up to the boys' dormitory to try and explain things to his best friend, who had blatantly expressed his disbelief in Harry's innocence in the matter of the Goblet. Then, the youngest Weasley male had proceeded to studiously ignore Harry, choosing to snub him and speak to Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom instead. Over the course of the month, Ron had not so subtly hinted that he might like to be left alone by declaring that Harry most probably had some sort of interview to attend or autographs to sign, which irked the green eyed boy greatly. For the love of Merlin, Ron had _known_ about the dragons and not told him.

Harry was not going to take this lying down. Did Ron really expect Harry to simply accept him back, just like nothing ever occurred between them for the past thirty days?

It certainly seemed as if he did, from the way he was shifting in anticipation and looking expectantly at him.

"Bravo, Ron, you've finally figured out what I told you the second my name was ejected from that blasted Goblet!" Harry said scathingly, glaring furiously at the taller boy. Hermione let out a small squeak of distress, then was pulled back into the crowd by Parvati Patil.

"Harry—" Ron stammered, but the green eyed boy cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it, Ron. For an entire month, you've ignored and mistrusted me constantly. Now, you waltz up to me and expect to be let back into my life so easily, as if nothing ever happened between us. Well, it's not happening!" Harry shouted at the taller boy, who stepped back as if struck.

It was a bluff, of course. Harry couldn't imagine not having the youngest Weasley male around, but Ron needed to hear this, otherwise he'd do something similar once again.

"Friendship is based on trust," Harry said softly, vaguely quoting Dumbledore's words, "Not only have you broken that trust, Ron, but you have gone further than mistrusting me and implied that I, ah, _enjoy_ having to compete in a deadly tournament where all of my competitors are more experienced and have an advantage over me. That I enjoy having to do at least one death defying stunt _every. single. YEAR."_ He finished, glowering.

Ron paled further and glanced to his feet, feeling shame gradually wash over him.

"You seem to think I need even more fame that what I have right now. That I simply adore having this scar on my forehead!" Harry said, voice softening slightly as his anger cooled a bit. "Well, you need a reality check, dear _ickle Ronniekins._ This bloody facial disfigurement is a constant reminder of how my parents were slaughtered trying to protect me from a psycho Dark Lord who wanted to kill me!" He shouted.

Striding forwards, Harry seized the collar of Ron's dark robes and yanked down the boy's head, level with his own. "Think, Ron," Harry murmured in his ear, eyes narrowed to slits, "if you really want this fame and money. You'll end up remembering your dead family every day." He released the shaken redhead and delivered a swift blow to his nose.

 _CRACK!_

The sound echoed loudly in the sudden, stunned silence. Ron staggered back, blood seeping out of his nose and spreading over his upper lip. Harry eyed him coldly for a second, before spinning quickly on his heel and stalking away without another word. He had to get out of there, before his cold facade caved in and he apologised to the redhead.

The students around Ron were frozen with shock and disbelief. Ron stood numbly, clutching at his steadily bleeding nose with one hand and letting the other fall limply to his side, the droplets of blood smeared across his palm glinting eerily in the dim sunlight.

Hermione bit her lip indecisively. She gave Ron a hesitant glance, then hurried after Harry, mumbling a small, insincere apology on her way.

Ron felt a churning in his gut as he stared at the spot where his friend had stood seconds ago. The redhead had simply assumed that Harry would easily forgive him, and that they'd go back to normal; that was precisely what Harry _did!_ But not this time; he hadn't been forgiven...(not that he knew, wink wink)

 _What had he done?_

* * *

 **First story, hurray.**

 **constructive criticism is welcome.**

 **bye bye ✌**


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